Church Unique

WILL MANCINI, a former pastor, is the founder of Auxano, a national consulting group that works with traditional and emerging churches and ministries of all types around the country. Their mission is to navigate leaders through growth challenges with vision clarity (auxano.com).

"[Mancini] gives a compelling rationale for the church to move on and accompanies this rationale with instructive support and church-wide challenge. All mission boards and vestries would benefit from the materials contained therein."—The Rev. Jeffrey A. Mackey, The Living Church magazine (Sept. 2008) Mancini (founder, Auxano consulting group) believes that all churches need not be megachurches like Willowcreek (IL) or Saddleback (CA). Here, he avoids a mere discussion of churches worthy of emulation and further crosses denominational lines, having himself worked alongside Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, and others. Mancini eschews the title consultant , preferring instead vision navigator . In short, he helps leaders focus on their own unique cultures and congregational fingerprints. Once churches grasp that they are one of a kind-much like galaxies, fossils, DNA, and sandbanks-they can then, Mancini writes, unleash their full potential. The book, complete with an appendix as well as logos and icons illustrating various churches' visionary thinking, is strengthened by numerous flow charts, diagrams, graphics, and pithy quotes. It has the potential to unseat Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Church  in popularity. Yet academic libraries may want to pass on this title for its admitted lack of supporting empirical evidence. Public libraries, on the other hand, would be wise to purchase a copy. With a foreword by inspirational giant Max Lucado.—C. Brian Smith, Arlington Heights Memorial Lib., IL (Library Journal, May 1, 2008)

• About Leadership Network xviiForeword xixIntroduction xxiPART ONE Recasting Vision1. Unoriginal Sin: Neglecting Uniqueness 52. The Fall of Strategic Planning: Obscuring the Essence 173. The Iniquity of Church Growth: Caging the Kingdom 274. Lost Congregations: How Churches Adapt to the Vision Vacuum 40PART TWO Clarifying Vision5. The Good News of Clarity: Why Believe in Vision Today? 516. Clarity Pre-Evangelism: Softening Your Heart for Clarity 617. The Alpha and Omega of Clarity: The Ultimate Source of Vision 698. Hear the Cloud of Witnesses: Learning from Vision Legacies 759. Discover Your Kingdom Concept: How to Ascertain Vision 8310. Take a Closer Look: Navigating Your Discovery Process 99PART THREE Articulating Vision11. See with New Eyes: Defining Your Vision Frame 11112. Carry the Holy Orders: Mission as Missional Mandate 11913. Feel the Common Heartbeat: Values as Missional Motives 12814. Show Me the Way: Strategy as Missional Map 13615. Talk the Walk: Measures as Missional Life Marks 15116. Frame the Future: Preparing for a Vision Lifestyle 16417. Speak with New Tongues: Articulating Vision Proper 178PART FOUR Advancing Vision18. Wage War Against the Status Quo: From Articulation to Traction 19719. Meet Long in the Upper Room: The Secret of Attunement 20720. Transform the Future: Delivering Vision Daily Parting Thoughts 21521. Resurrect Your Uniqueness: If You Copy Someone Else’s Vision, Who Will Accomplish Yours? 234Appendix A Logos and Strategy Icon Examples 237Appendix B Vision Path Examples 243Notes 247Bibliography 255Acknowledgments 259About the Author 261Index 263